A dated copy of the official page and FAQ, written confirmation of the underlying EB-1 or EB-2 basis, and the refund terms of the processing fee, which the official page describes as nonrefundable.
Paper the terms on the day you rely on them
Hypothetical example: Because the official page can change and the processing fee is described as nonrefundable, a Portugal Cove-St. Philip's applicant should keep a dated record of exactly what the page said when the decision was made: the fee, the gift amount, the family terms, the sequence of payment and vetting, and the statement of which immigrant categories the framework uses. Alongside that, obtain a written assessment of how the official gift is treated as evidence for the applicable EB-1 or EB-2 basis and which remaining requirements still have to be proved. If a U.S. company proposes to sponsor corporately, obtain the company's written commitment covering the corporate gift, the annual maintenance charge, the transfer charge and what happens to the applicant's position if the employment ends. Do not rely on a summary from an intermediary, a webinar or a news article. Where the official page is inaccessible from Canada on a given day, note that fact and try again rather than accepting a second-hand version.
Hypothetical example: an archival conservator is considering the Gold Card after a museum sponsor mentions it in a recruitment conversation. The first review should identify which official material is current, what personal identity and civil documents the framework calls for, and which evidence would support the relevant employment-based immigrant category. Save the source with its publication date, then maintain a dated list of every document requested and its issuing authority. A recruiter email may explain the opportunity, but it does not establish program terms or replace the government's published requirements.